Footwear



Oct. 4, 1932.

E. C. HEILHECKER FOOTWEAR Filed NOV. l2. 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR OCL 4, 1932- E. c. HEILHECKER 1,880,389

FOOTWEAR Filed Nov. l2. 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Eugene C. HeiZc/e ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 4, 1932 j UNITED NSTATES PATENT -oFFlcE EUGENE C. HEILHECKER, OF BRISTOL, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR TO NATIONAL INDIA RUBBER COMPANY, OF BRISTOL, RHODE ISLAND, A CORPORATION OF RHODE ISLAND FOOTWEAR applicati@ sied November 12, 1980. seriai No. 495,058.

This invention relates to footwear and Y more particularly to that type of shoe having an upper usually of canvas provided with a vlace-to-toe opening and used for sport or athletic wear.

In former shoes of this type the quartersA terminated short of the toe portion of the shoe, which portion was formed by an extension of the tongue. The tongue of the shoe was edged with a bias binding extending downward on the interior of the shoe adj acent the toes of the wearers foot and followed the general contour of an eyelet stay or reinforcing strip. One serious objection to this type ofy shoe is that when the same is laced onto the foot there is considerable bunching of the material of the upper adjacent the toe portion which causes chaling of the binding of the tongue against the wearers toes. This was one of the'chief objections to wearing a lace-to-toe pattern shoe for basket ball and`other kinds of exercise.

One of the objects of the present invention is to overcome the above noted objections. For this purpose the quarters of the shoe are extended forward to form the toe port-ion of the shoe, and the tongue is connected adjacent the rear edge of the'toe portion above the sides of the wearers toes, as contrasted with former practice wherein the tongue formed the toe covering portion. Preferably the eyelet stay is extended downward to the sole as in former shoes of this general type, sothat while the shoe presents substantially the same outward appearance as formerly, it is nevertheless of radically different construction on the interior since it Fig. 3 is a planview of the outside of an upper embodyingthe invention;

Fig. 4 is a view of parts which enter into the constructionof the upper disclosed in Fig.- 3;and r Fig. 5 is an underneath view of the toe region of the upper shown in Fig. 3.

In the accompanyingdrawings the reference numeral indicates an upper, f the quarters of which are preferably made in two sections or side members 11 and 12 having forward extensions 13 and 14 respectively, joined together along a median line 15 to form a toe covering portion. The two sections 11 and 12 may comprise an outside fabric 16 consisting of canvas, and a suitable lining 17. The :diitside f abric 16 and the lining 17 are preferably ofthe contour shown in Fig. 4 and may be cemented together to form in eect one fabric or they may be built into the shoe as separate pieces. In building the shoe of the present invention the margins of two parts 11 and 12 preferably are butted together along the vmedian line 15 and held together in anyv suitable way such as by the stitches 18, and a pair of eyelet stays 19 are stitched to the sides of the shoe opening formed by the edges 19 to a point within about one-half inch of the bottom of a tongue 20 which is put into position between a pair of notches 21 adjacent the rear of the toe covering portions 13 and 14, the bottom of the tongue preferably overlapping the outside of said portions as indicated in Fig. 3. The lower portion 22 of the tongue is stitched down, preferably as indicated at 23, to the extensions 13 and 14 of the sections 11 and 12 forwardly of the` notches'21, and then the downwardly extending portions 24 of the eyelet stays 19 are stitched down to the sides ofl the upper. To further reinforce the connection of the tongue to the upper several lines of stitching 27 may be run across the eyelet stays 19 adjacent the lower portion of the tongue 20. The upper may be provided with any suitable form of heelstifl'ening means 28 and may be further provided with reinforcing stays 29 at the sides of the foot. The uppersthus formed is joined together at the rear edges 31 in any approved manner and is then lasted on to a sole which may comprise an insole 32, a filler sole 33, and an outsole 34 preferabl of rubber composition. To further rein orce the toe portion of the shoe and form a covering for the stitches 13, there is preferably provided a toe cap 30 oflrubber composition. The toe cap 30 may be applied in any suitable manner, and usually consists of suitably compounded gum ofthe proper thickness to reinforce the toe portion and leave no trace of the stitches 18.

It will be seen from an inspection of Figs. l and 3 that the lower portion 22 of the tongue 2O has no edges or-shoulders extending downward over the sides of the wearers toes. This has been accomplished by providing the quarters with the integral extensions 13 and 14 which formerly were a (portion of a tongue having a binding on its e ges.\ There is consequently presented a substantially smooth interior adjacent the forward part of the shoe so that when the shoe is laced onto the foot there is nothing in the toe portion to cause chang.

It is to be understood in conclusion that the present described embodiment is merely illustrative of one practil'embodiinent of the invention, and itfislther'efore not intended to impose limitations other than those set forth in the appendedlaims.

Having thus/described my invention, what p j I claim and -desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A shoe having a fabric upper wherein i c the quarters are extended orwardl to form a toe portion,said upper having a oot opening and oppositely disposed notches at the sides of saidopening rearward ofthe toecovering portion, a tongue having its lower -portion extended through said notches and connected to the rear of said toe cover-ing portion, the lower edges of said tonguev terminatmembers including portions at the front of the shoe joined together` on a line approximately lengthwise of the foot and forming the toe of the shoe, said upper having a foot openlng, eyelet lstays extending,r along the margins of said foot opening and downward to the sole of the shoe adjacent the toe portion, said upper having notches at the sides of said opening adjacent the toe covering portion, a tongue having its lower margins extending through said notches and connected to the rear of said toe covering portion on the outside of the upper, and a cap for the toe of the shoe.

` Signed at Bristol, county of Bristol, State of Rhode Island, this lth day of November EUGENE C. HEILHECKER.

ing substantially above the areas of the upper. i

normally engaging the wearers toes, and reinforcing stays at the margins of said open'- ing, said stays being extended downward over the outside of the shoe adjacentf'the toe portion to the sole and being secured to the tongue and the upper adjacent the lower portion of said tongue.

2. A shoe having an upper including side` members including portions at the front of the shoe joined togetheron a line approxi- 'mately lengthwise of the foot and forming the toe of the shoe, said upper having a foot opening, eyelet stays extending along the margins of said foot opening and downward to the sole of the shoe adjacent the toe portion, said upper having notches'at the sides of said opening adjacent the toe covering portion, and a tongue having its lower mar-` 

